Tom

Woke up very early today and couldn't get back to sleep so I sat through the entirety of Zack Snyder's four-hour long Justice League and I'll come right out and say that not only is it infinitely better than the original, as one would expect with hindsight, but it does a lot for the characters that none of the more recent DC films have been able to do. Batman has actual Batman moments and does actual Batman things... he isn't just a gun toting psychopath. While I am still not 100% happy with this iteration of the character (he still has guns, after-all, plus why goggles) he also doesn't blatantly kill humans. Ben Affleck is absolutely capable of carrying this character in the right direction, should he only be given the chance to do it right. Aquaman (specifically this version) is represented as a unique version of the character that feels better than the comics will ever be able to represent. Momoa brings a lot of heart to the character while still keeping the darker tone people enjoy and having the fun moments people have enjoyed, as well. Flash does so much more than just blip around occasionally. I actually despised Ezra Miller's representation of Barry in the other film and while I still don't necessarily love it (he reminds me of someone who's blasted on cocaine), he is a little more reigned in by the third act and actually servers a purpose other than being a budget sink. Cyborg's arc actually makes you feel and care for his character in this version. His characters involvement in the plot is much larger and is much closer to a comic book version of his character and serves a purpose through the whole plot. I still think the armor looks atrocious. Wonder Woman not only feels more intriguing than in the original film (as well as the most recent film she was in), but she actually feels strong as a character without just beating you over the head with generic feminism being shoe horned in which I respect. That character has been around since the 40s - it's good to see her get treated so well. Superman's spirit from the comics shines through much better in this version which is a little shocking when you consider how dark Snyder likes to take the character. His role is perhaps a bit diminished compared to the previous version while still feeling important which opens up space for other characters to shine and it goes without saying that Henry Cavill was born for this role. Snyder is extremely talented at painting scenes and bringing to life characters in his own unique style and making those moments feel epic. He's done it in all of his past works and while not everything he does is ostensibly good, I think everything he's done does represent a vision that he clearly has. I wont get too far into other characters that arrive or plot threads that have changed, though the overall entropy of the film is still the same as any comic book film (the good guys fight the bad guys until the good guys win). Obviously these films aren't meant to be deep or meant to be cinematic masterpieces but I take them for what they are at face value and I realize this is a very long winded post but for me, these characters are something that ties me back to my childhood. I grew up reading Batman and enjoying the grit and the detective noir vibes and reading what is often considered the pinnacle Superman era - Death and Return of Superman and enjoying that because it took a character that has always been unchallenged and flipped it on it's head. I'm happy this came together. It was well worth the effort.